Mexico is a country that is diverse in people, language, food, and culture. Since the year of 1810, when Mexico gained its independence it has made many changes. Changes regarding its economy and currency. Also Mexico has undergone changes in industry and politics. Mexico, which is also known as the United Mexican States, Estados Unidos Mexicanos is one of the most known Spanish speaking countries.

Mexico is home to some of the most advanced American-Indian civilizations which include the Olmec’s, and Mayans, Mexico is best known as the land where the Aztecs founded their capital Tenochtitlan, on March 13, 1325, which is the location of Mexico’s present day capital. After the Fall of Tenochtitlan at the hands of Spanish soldier Hernan Cortes on August 13, 1521, Mexico became a Spanish colony for three centuries before Minister Miguel Hidalgo began his fight for Independence on September 15, 1810. After eleven years of intense fighting, Constitutionalist Army General Agustin de Iturbide switched sides and joined forces with Vicente Guerrero and Guadalupe Victoria, which were leaders of the rebelling powers. This alliance achieved Mexico's independence on September 27, 1821. After this day the First Mexican Empire was born, with Emperor Agustin I as monarch. After Emperor Agustin I, there have been multiple leaders of Mexico. The most current leader is Enrique Peña Nieto which is proof of the federal presidential constitutional government that is now Mexico’s government system. After Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, there was a struggle for control of the government. Army leaders sometimes took over Mexico’s government. In some parts of the country, bandits attacked travelers. In other parts, Mexicans fought with Spanish landowners. In the 1850s, Benito Juárez became president of Mexico and led a movement for reform. In 1857, reformers wrote a new constitution. It gave Mexicans a bill of rights and promised freedom of speech and equality under the law. The constitution also ended slavery and reduced the army’s power. After Juárez died in 1872, Mexicans were still concerned about poverty, lack of education, land ownership issues, and political issues. At the start of the 20th century, most Mexicans did not own land. Once again Mexicans decided to fight for reforms. The Mexican Revolution lasted from 1910 to 1920. Land reformers wanted the government to break up the haciendas. Emiliano Zapata led the fight for land reform and farmers’ rights. A new constitution in 1917 promised to distribute land more equally among the Mexican people. Between 1920 and 1940, the government divided millions of acres among small farmers and ejidos. Mexico’s official name is Estados Unidos Mexicanos, or the United Mexican States. Mexico is a democracy made up of 31 states. Mexico has three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The government is a federal system in which power is shared between the national and state levels. Voters in each state elect a governor. Each state has its own legislature. Local governments provide public services to towns and villages. Local governments depend on money from the national
Government.

Mexico is known as the 14th largest country in the world. This is due to the 762,000 square miles that covers the landscape of Mexico. Mexico is bordered by the United States to the North and Belize and Guatemala to the Southeast. Mexico is about one-fifth the size of the United States or three times the size of Texas. In the east are the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche, which is formed by Mexico's other peninsula, the Yucatán. The center of Mexico is a great, high plateau, open to the north, with mountain chains on the east and west and with ocean-front lowlands beyond. Mexican culture is a blend of three influences: Native American culture, Spanish culture, and the unique Mexican culture that has developed over time. The Plaza of Three Cultures in Mexico City symbolizes